


A Very Emily Christmas

by Spooky66



Series: Prompts [54]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Episode: s05e07 Emily, F/M, Gen, Post-Episode: s05e06 Christmas Carol, Season 5 AU, emily sim - Freeform, thexmasfileschallange
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-19 13:54:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 12,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13125099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooky66/pseuds/Spooky66
Summary: This was written for most days of December for the xmas files challenge on tumblr. This is a 'what if Emily lived?' AU. Each chapter is named after the theme. Most are very short and hastily written.





	1. Hot Chocolate

“Can I have hot chocolate?” Emily asks while pointing to the food stand serving hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts. She looks up at him with big, round; blue eyes that are so much like Scully’s and Mulder can’t-won’t- refuse her anything.

“Fine. But don’t tell your mom.” He says back with a conspiratorial smile.

“Thank you, daddy!” She smiles up at him but frowns at the look that comes over Mulder’s face.

“Is that wrong?” She asks, suddenly unsure.

Mulder quickly lifts her up into his arms and kisses her forehead. He waits a moment to make sure he can speak without his voice breaking.

“No, it’s perfect.” 

“Mommy!” Emily yells suddenly and points behind Mulder.

He turns to see Scully, all bundled up, walking toward them with a smile as she waves at the little girl.

Her cheeks and nose are red in the cold making her eyes pop and when those eyes meet his he can’t help but grin.

“Do you want hot chocolate?” Emily asks as Scully approaches. Scully’s eyebrow rises at Mulder but her smirk betrays her.

“Shush, that’s supposed to be a secret!” Mulder says and tickles Emily’s belly causing the child to laugh and wrap her arms around his neck.

“I thought I said no sugar before dinner Mulder.” Scully remarks lightly.

“I don’t remember that. What brings you hear Scully?”

She loops her arm through his and they finally go to the food stand.

“Right when I was about to start the autopsy the head agent called and said they were encountering some kind of issue with the family. So I’m free. And you better get me some nuts if your buying.”

“I thought Em was buying.” Mulder says innocently.

“No, I’m not!” Emily yells.

They all laugh and buys drinks and snacks for the two most important people in his life.


	2. Sweater

Do I have to? It’s itchy!” Emily asks pulls at the offensive sweater that her mother had just pulled over her head.

“Just for the picture, then you can take it off.” Scully says, continuing to fix the little girls hair.

“Why?” Emily questions even though she knows the answer.

Scully fixes her with a look that quiets her up.

“Oh Dana her hair looks fine stop fixing it.” Maggie says and takes her daughters hands in her own.

Scully looks down at her watch, “Maybe he’s not coming.”

Maggie smiles and pats Scully’s hand.

“Ma’am we’re going to need to take the photo soon or you’ll be charged for another session.” The photographer informs, totally uninterested.

“Just a few more minutes.” Scully says and then to herself, “He said he’d be here.”

Suddenly a harried Mulder is waltzing through the door pulling on a nice sweater of his own as he does.

Scully smiles brightly and moves over to help him. His head pops through the opening and he shoots her a lopsided smile.

“Sorry. I lost track of time. Got pulled over on the way and had to flash the badge.” He tells her and gives a little wave to Emily who runs over to hug him.

Scully’s eyes shine.

Mulder picks up Emily as Scully rearranges his hair and finally, deciding it’s a lost cause, leads him over to the white backdrop to be photographed.

Scully had decided last minute that she wanted these photos to send out. In the past her Christmas cards had been store bought cards with pictures of Christmas trees, Santas, or the Nativity on the front. But this year was different; this year she had Emily.

There had been so many questions about the little girl and Scully saw Christmas cards as an opportunity to show everyone at once that Emily was normal, happy, and healthy.

Including Mulder had seemed natural to her. They’d formed a shy romantic relationship since Emily had entered their lives. It consisted of anything from small kisses to heavy make out sessions after Emily’s bedtime but had not progressed past that yet.

Everything felt different because there was a child involved. They wanted to be careful with each other and with Emily but neither questioned that Mulder would be an important part of the little girls life.

Emily had taken to calling him either Mulder or daddy with no real qualifiers. Each time she called him ‘daddy’ both Mulder and Scully would pause and wonder if they should correct her but neither ever did.

The day before the picture Scully called her mother and asked her to be in the picture.

So they stand together, an awkward family unit. The photographer begins to direct them.   
He has Mulder slip his arms around Scully’s waist from behind while he places Emily on a little red block in front of them.

Both of them relish the closeness and chose to ignore the sidelong-amused glance from Maggie.

Maggie is directed to sit next to Emily and put her arm around the little girl.

For the next half hour they are put into various poses as a group until the photographer orders Emily and Maggie to step off the mat so he can take a few shots of just Mulder and Scully.

“No, uh, that’s alright.” Scully says uncomfortable.

“Oh go on dear. It will be nice.” Maggie says from her place against the wall.

Mulder and Scully listen to the photographer’s directions as he ties a stalk of mistletoe above their heads and tells them to look like they are about to kiss.

“You think he has the wrong idea about us?” Mulder whispers to her with a smile.

“I don’t know. Does he?” she asks.

“I don’t think so.” Mulder says before pulling her closer and kissing her sweetly.


	3. Snow

“Mommy…” A little voice calls from the dark, “Mommy someone is at the door.”

Scully feels a little body next to hers and little hands on her face and smiles before opening her eyes.

She takes hold of the little girl and tickles her tummy causing a fit of giggles.

Between the laughing she hears the knock at the door.

“Ok bug, let’s see who’s here.” She says as she lifts Emily off the bed.

“Wait for me Emily!” Scully yells as she wraps her robe around her and follows quickly behind.

“Let me look first!” Emily says pointing excitedly to the peephole.

Lifting her with a small grunt Scully positions her in front of the hole.

“It’s Mulder!”

Scully feels her heart skip a beat and opens up the door quickly to see a smiling, bundled up Mulder.

“It’s snowing.” Mulder tells her in lieu of a greeting.

Emily’s gasp is loud as she scampers over to the window to see the snow still falling slowly.

“Snow!” She screams and runs to her bedroom.

“Hey.” Mulder says, almost shyly.

“Hey, come in.” Scully says and pulls him in by his scarf. Her arms go around his neck and his around her waist automatically and they kiss.

“Ew!” Emily’s little voice calls out causing Mulder and Scully to separate quickly.

She is wearing a backwards sweater, mismatched inside out socks, and unbuttoned jeans.

“Let’s go.”

Both Scully and Mulder laugh at her appearance and Scully steers Emily back into the bedroom to find suitable clothing.

“I was thinking we could go sledding. There is just enough snow on the ground for it.” Mulder yells to them from the living room.

“Sledding!” Emily hollers and throws her arms up in the air.

“Emily have you ever seen snow?” Scully asks since most of the winter before had been spent in California as they waited for Emily to recover, Scully was unsure if the little girl had seen it before then.

She shakes her head, “Just in pictures.”

Scully cups Emily’s fat little cheek and grins, “I think you will have fun.”

“Are you and Mulder going to get married?” Emily asks out of nowhere as Scully buttons up her pants.

Puzzled, Scully just looks at her for a moment before answering, “I don’t think so honey. Why?”

“Because most mommies and daddies are married.”

Scully’s heart hurts at the words and she holds back the instant tears that form in her eyes.

“Well, you never know. Maybe someday.”


	4. Tinsel

 

“Are you sure about tinsel Scully?” Mulder asks interrupting Scully’s meticulous tree decorating.

Scully bats him away, “Of course. Tinsel is my favorite.”

She punctuates this by draping a couple strands over Mulder’s nose.

“Emily seems to like it too.” Mulder says and points behind them to Emily who is throwing fistfuls of tinsel in the air and spinning in circles beneath it.

Scully’s eyes go wide and she is about to rush over to stop the madness and clean up the mess until Mulder takes her shoulders and stops her.

“Just wait a minute. Look how much fun she’s having.”

For a moment they just watch Emily as she spins and chatters to herself. Her smile is huge and Scully feels her eyes fill with tears.

“Hey.” Mulder whispers to her and brushes a tear from her cheek, “You okay?”

Scully shakes her head, “I would have stopped her and cleaned it all up. I just want this to be a good Christmas for her. I don’t want her to hate Christmas forever because of…”

“Oh Scully. You can’t put that kind of pressure on yourself.” He looks at Emily for a moment, “I think this has been a good Christmas for her Scully. She’s happy every time I see her. She’s so young. I’m not saying there won’t be issues but don’t do that to yourself.”

“You’re so good with her.”

His concerned expression turns to one of pure joy.

“You think so?”

Scully wipes away the last of her tears, cups his cheek, and kisses him tenderly.

“Of course Mulder. She loves you.”

They begin to watch Emily again as she starts to tie strands of tinsel together to make a necklace.

“Will you need more tinsel?” Mulder asks softly, as not to disturb her.

“No. But I think we need a video camera.” Scully responds with a smile, “I don’t want to ever forget these memories.”


	5. Snowglobe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the snow globe I describe is based off of one my grandma had all throughout my childhood. It was my favorite thing she owned but we’ve been unable to find it since she died (due to various issues my grandpa and uncle have had). This also mentions a favorite childhood game of mine. Basically this is based off of my childhood.

The boxes in Scully’s storage unit have been haunting her. They have hung over her head for a year and the time to open them has come.

Shakily, she kneels and opens the box labeled ‘xmas- fragile’. When Emily’s adoption finally went through an aunt of Roberta Sim had contacted her and asked to meet with her. In the brief meeting the woman unloaded a dozen boxes on Scully full of the Sim family’s belongings. Each was labeled.

She’d never opened the boxes but she remembered the ones labeled for Christmas and had always intended to pull out a few familiar decorations for Emily. It’s more difficult than she thought it would be to open the boxes of a dead woman. The first item is wrapped in newspaper but Scully can tell by the shape that it’s a snow globe.

She opens it to see a snow globe dedicated to the musical ‘White Christmas’. Shaking it she watches the snow for a moment before turning it over to see if there is a crank for music. Sure enough, there is a little silver wind which she turns a few times before letting it play.

The music box sounds of the song “White Christmas” plays and she smiles at it for a moment. The four characters in the globe stand in the same way Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen stood at the end of the movie.

As the music dies down Scully puts the snow globe in the box she brought for anything she wanted to take back to her apartment.

When Scully gets back she finds Emily and Mulder playing the board game Pretty Pretty Princess. Mulder sits in front of the coffee table and looks at her, face serious, wearing one clip on earing, a necklace, and a bracelet.

For just a moment Scully completely forgets the grim task she had just been completing and laughs hard and long. Mulder’s expression doesn’t break but Emily giggles along with her.

“It’s not funny Scully, I’m winning.” Mulder says bringing about another fit of laughter.

Emily finally notices the box Scully is carrying and runs over in excitement.

“Is my globe in there?” She yells excitedly.

Scully nods and moves to the couch to open the box for her. Before leaving for the storage unit Scully had told Emily what she was going to get. For a few minutes Emily had sat solemnly and considered this before asking Scully to make sure and get the snow globe with the ladies in the pretty dress. Scully had known it as soon as she saw it.

Carefully, Scully hands Emily the snow globe.

Emily shakes her head, “I’m not allowed to hold it.”

Scully’s heart breaks a little bit.

“Can you make it sing?” Emily asks and points to the base.

Scully nods wordlessly and winds it up.

Still wearing his jewelry Mulder joins them on the couch and wraps an arm around Emily to squeeze Scully’s arm.

“Have you ever seen this movie Emily?” Scully asks when the tune ends.

“Yes. Mommy would watch it every year.” Emily says not looking away from the snow globe.

“Do you want to watch it this year?”

She brightens up right away and smiles, “Can we watch it now?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll make the popcorn!” Mulder says bounding off the couch.

“Can we order pizza?” Emily tests jumping up and down.

“Only if you eat your carrots.” Scully answers grinning at the face Emily makes.

As they cuddle up later that evening Scully sits sandwiched between Mulder and Emily and starts to believe it’s going to be the best Christmas she’s ever had.


	6. Lights

 

“I like that one!” Emily yells and points out the window to a house decorated with haphazardly placed light strands of all kinds. Some strands are blinking others are solid and the whole house looks like a mess of lights and colors. Scully’s eyebrows furrowed at the childish decorations and she eyes a house across the street with flawlessly placed strands of white lights. Each tree is wrapped from top to bottom in white lights and the only colors to be seen are from the columns on the porch which are red and white like candy canes.

Mulder watches Scully out of the side of his eye while he drives. She smiles up at the impeccably manicured home that he knows is her dream.

Down the street, Mulder notices a home that is completely covered in lights. Each side is a different color; even the roof and windows are covered in lights making the house look like a giant bright cube.

“I think I’ve found my favorite.” Mulder murmurs as they stop in front of the shining house.

“When we get a house I want it to look like this!” Emily shouts from the backseat.

Scully’s face grows warm when Mulder looks over at her and she shoots him a shy grin.

By the time they are pulling into a parking spot in front of Scully’s apartment Emily is fast asleep accomplishing their mission to tire her out.

Earlier that day Mulder had proposed this plan that would get them an evening alone. Neither had said out loud that they were hoping for sex but it was the undertone of the entire day. The tension between them had become nearly unbearable.

Scully watches Mulder lift, Emily, up effortlessly and can’t help but smile at the way the little girl cuddles against him.

Mulder gently lays Emily down and joins Scully who is pouring the wine. Before she finishes pouring the second glass Mulder’s arm are around her waist and he’s kissing her neck.

“Not wasting any time, huh?” Scully says as she rolls her head back to give him better access.

“Don’t know how long we’ll have,” Mulder responds as his hands move to cup her breasts. In minutes Scully is pinned between him and the counter panting for more. 

“Mommy!” The small scream pierces the near silence of the apartment as Emily begins to cry from her room. Mulder and Scully pull apart quickly and run down the hall to see Emily sitting up in bed, crying, and clutching her blanket.

“Oh, honey! What happened? Did you have a nightmare?” Scully is by her daughter’s side in a moment petting her hair and wiping her tears.

“I woke up and it was dark. We forgot to turn on my tree.” She sniffles and points to the tiny fake Christmas tree near the window.

Mulder strides over and plugs the tree in, immediately bathing the room in cheerful light.

“Is that better?” Scully asks.

Emily nods, “Stay with me.”

She looks between Mulder and Scully indicating she meant both of them.

Mulder gives Scully a good-humored shrug and moves to the other side of the small bed.

The two of them lay on either side of her, intending to leave as soon as she is asleep. Within a few minutes, all three of them are asleep, cuddled together in the light from the Christmas tree.


	7. Wrapping Paper

“Can I wrap the present for Mulder?” Emily asks as she watches Scully wrap the pile of presents.

Scully smiles over at Emily, “Yes but I’m going to help you.”

“Can we use my favorite wrapping paper?” Emily points at the roll she had begged Scully to buy. It was covered in puppies wearing Santa hats and the thought of Mulder’s present being wrapped it in made Scully laugh.

“Yes. I’m sure he’d love it.”

Scully finishes the present for her mother and turns to get her present for Mulder, some framed Jimi Hendrix memorabilia that she’d found for him a few months ago. Soon Scully is showing Emily how to wrap before leaving her to it. In the end the gift looks messy but perfect for Mulder.

“He will love this. Go put it under the tree.” Scully watches Emily delicately place it under the tree when she hears someone at the door.

Mulder greets her with a grin and a quick kiss.

“Hey, I promised Em I’d take her out to get your gift today.” Mulder says as Emily runs at him.

“Go get your shoes, socks, and coat.” Scully instructs and Emily scampers away.

“Thank you. I’ve got to start on her gifts.”

“Are you doing Santa with her?” Mulder whispers.

Scully checks for Emily and nods with a huge smile.

“I’m really looking forward to it. But I’m a little concerned that I won’t do it like her parents did… I asked her about their traditions but I doubt I’ll get it right.”

Mulder cups her cheek and kisses her forehead, “You’ll do great. And when in doubt just say magic and lie out of your ass.”

“The magic of Christmas huh?” Scully sees Emily coming and whispers to him, “My mom is back in town this week and can take Emily for the night.”

Mulder’s eyes grow wide and he smiles, “I’ll get you a really nice gift.”

“Can I wrap it?” Emily asks running back in excitedly.

“Of course!” Mulder says and lifts her up.

“Have fun!”


	8. Gingerbread

  
“I want to make a gingerbread girl.” Emily informs Scully as they roll out the dough for the cookies.

“You can make whatever kind of gingerbread person you want. Then we can give them all names.” Scully replies with a smile.

“I’ll make a whole gingerbread family!” Emily says with excitement.

“A whole gingerbread family for me to eat!” Mulder booms as he enters the room, rubbing his stomach ominously.

“No! We can’t eat them! We are giving them names!” Emily cries, suddenly panicked.   
Scully gives Mulder a look and he laughs.   
“Em, gingerbread people are made for you to eat them. It’s their life’s purpose!” Mulder says in a reasonable tone of voice.

Emily shakes her head and crosses her arms, “No one wants to be eaten!” She says emphatically.

Mulder snorts and leers at Scully until she shoots him a glare that could freeze burning coal.

Turning his attention back to Emily he tries to explain that gingerbread people wait their whole existence just to live in her tummy. He tells her that from when they are just little grains of ginger they are dreaming of the day when a cute little girl can eat them.

It only takes a few minutes of magical story weaving to convince the child that she would be doing the ginger-people a huge favor by eating them.

That night after the gingerbread people are out of the oven and drying Maggie Scully comes to the door to collect Emily for the night.

Mulder hovers around Scully as she packs up Emily’s things and the gingerbread cookies. Emily is nervous about leaving Scully for the night, for the first time since she’d moved to D.C., but with ‘Grandma Maggie’s’ promises of board games, Christmas movies, and ice cream Emily’s fears disappear and soon she is kissing them both goodbye happily.

Mulder doesn’t waste a moment before removing the Christmas apron from around Scully’s waist and pulling her to him.

They move quicker they either of them would have liked but they know they will have time for leisure later.

Only ten minutes after waving goodbye to Emily, Scully is splayed out of the bed with Mulder’s head between her legs and she feels perfectly sinful.

In the past few weeks, Mulder’s fingers have made it past the barrier of her underwear a few scant times while they tried to get in a few minutes like lovesick teenagers but this was always his dream.

Before she cums she is pulling him up and begging him to finally, for the love of god finally, fuck her.

He happily obliges and is inside her in seconds.

They moan together as years of pent-up tension are released. It’s everything they have felt for each other all in one.

As he thrusts into her Mulder remembers the hollow feeling he had as he stood in her wrecked empty apartment when Dwayne Berry had taken her, holding her as she sobbed after her narrow escape from Donnie Pfaster, bringing her flowers after hearing the words ‘Oncology ward’ and panicking, and finally listening to her broken yet hopeful voice as she told him over the phone about Emily.

Scully lets herself go for the first time in a long time. The things she thinks about Mulder are just flashes of him as a father to her daughter. Seeing him take Emily as his own was what finally convinced her they could work.

Her nails dig into his back when she cums and he cums with her, moaning her name into her hair.

When they are spent it takes some time to recover before they can talk. During that time they just smile at each other with the occasional small laugh.

Mulder gets her some tissues to clean up and pulls her close.

They lay in silence for some time, appreciating the gravity of the situation before Mulder finally breaks it.

“Did you keep any gingerbread cookies for us? Cause I’m thinking they would make a mighty good post-coital snack.”


	9. Sleigh Ride

Emily sits staring at one of the many Christmas cards in the pile that Scully has already read. The card is of a snowy forest scene cut through by a Victorian family in a one-horse open sleigh.

“Can we do this?” Emily asks and points to the festive sleigh.

Scully glances at the card before smiling at Emily.

“There’s not enough snow here for that.”

Emily pouts and continues staring at the card. She puts her little stubby finger on the figure of the little girl dressed in red that is riding in the sleigh. The girl doesn’t look much older than Emily and sits between a man and a woman who Emily decides are her parents. Emily is captured by the image and begins to imagine that she is the little girl surrounded on either side by Mulder and Scully.

Scully watches Emily carefully and feels a now familiar pull to make all her dreams come true. She goes to Mulder who is currently in the kitchen making them dinner. He grins brightly at her when he sees her.

“Wanna try the sauce?” He holds out the spoon for her to taste. Mulder looks so domestic wearing an apron in front of the stove and Scully can’t help but smile and try the sauce. It’s surprisingly good; apparently from a recipe that he found in one of her seldom used cookbooks.

Ever since Mulder has started to move into her apartment he’s been doing things like making meals, brownies, and doing various chores. Scully worries that he feels like he needs to prove to her that he belongs there but she appreciates the effort.

She slides her arm around his waist in a casual way that still feels exciting to do.

“Emily wants to go on a sleigh ride.” She tells him and lays her head on his arm.

“That sounds fun.” Mulder says and adds something to the sauce.

“I don’t think they have those around here.”

Mulder looks up like this hadn’t occurred to him.

“Maybe we can do one of those carriage rides around the Mall? I mean they are all decked out for Christmas, there’s a little snow on the ground, and it will still have a sleigh ride like feel to it?”

Scully beams, kisses his cheek, and turns on her heel to go make arrangements.

They bundle Emily up carefully a couple days later. Emily wants to wear what she calls her ‘fancy coat’ that Maggie bought for her for when they go to church. She also asks if she can have a pretty hat and muff.

Scully says no but later that night Mulder asks about it again pausing as he performs cunnilingus and she can’t say no. So Mulder goes out and buys Emily the cute accessories that will go with her coat.

All dressed up Emily looks strikingly close to the little girl on the card and Scully can’t feel irritated. Scully brings along the new camera that her mother had bought for them in the spring and she takes a couple shots of Emily before they leave.

They’d explained to Emily beforehand that it was not exactly like the picture but as soon as Emily sees the horse, with garland on it’s harness and holly in its hair, she doesn’t care.

“What’s her name?” Emily asks after bounding up to the driver who smiles down at kindly at the little girl.

“Candy Cane.” The driver responds and pats the horse.

“Can I pet her?” Emily looks from the driver to Mulder and Scully as she asks.

He nods, “And you can even feed her a carrot if you’d like.”

Emily bounces up and down in excitement to show that she would like.

Mulder lifts her up to the horses head and she pets her gently before the driver hands her a carrot.

“Now watch your fingers.” He says and Mulder keeps a close watch as Emily feeds the horse.

Emily is delighted and Scully takes pictures of the whole interaction. Emily begs the driver to sit up front by him and, after looking to Scully for permission, he tells her she can. First Scully says she wants a picture of the three of them together in the carriage. Emily barely sits still for it and is scrambling up to the driver’s seat as soon as he says he’s got a good photo.

Mulder pulls Scully up against him and puts a blanket over their laps. For the first few minutes of the ride, Scully watches Emily nervously but relaxes after she sees the little girl is not going to fall off.

Emily chats excitedly to the driver the whole time, asking all kinds of questions about the horse and creating a whole horse family for her.

“We’ll have to give him a good tip.” Mulder murmurs against Scully’s temple at one point and she chuckles.

“This was a good idea.” She says to him as they ride past the Lincoln Memorial.

He kisses the top of her head, closes his eyes, and takes in the moment.


	10. Stockings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sims in the Gif are mine (follow my sims blog @txfsimstyle) but @there-i-shipped-it brought it to life :)

 

The little stocking Scully finds in a box full of Roberta Sims Christmas decorations says “Emily” in pretty cursive handwriting with a cross-stitched picture of Santa in his sleigh underneath it and is currently being held in Emily’s tiny hands. Scully has been trying to decide for days if she should get a new stocking for Emily or use the one she’d always used. After going back and forth for a week Mulder finally said that Scully should just ask Emily what she wanted.

Emily sits in between Mulder and Scully as she examines the stocking and the two of them share a look when the child is quiet for a couple minutes.

“What if Santa doesn’t know a different stocking?” Emily asks suddenly.

Scully soothes her hand over Emily’s hair and looks to Mulder to answer the Santa question.

“Santa knows everything. Plus it will have your name on it, just in case.” He smiles at her and Scully is relieved when Emily smiles back. A moment later her small face grows grim.

“Will you be sad if I want this stocking?” She asks not looking up.

Scully’s heart clenches, “Honey why would we be sad?”

“Cause my other mommy and daddy got me this stocking.” Emily still doesn’t look up.   
Scully bends her head forward to see the child’s face.

“Emily, we will never be sad that you miss your mom and dad. We just want you to be happy and have whatever stocking you want. If you want this stocking we can put it up right now.”

Emily finally looks up and Scully sees tears in her big blue eyes.

“I miss them sometimes.” Emily tells her with a quivering mouth.

Scully pulls Emily to her and tries to hold back her own tears. She feels Mulder’s hand on her shoulder and sees the other rubbing Emily’s back.

“It’s ok to miss them. They were your parents. You can always talk to us about your feelings and your memories. I promise it won’t hurt our feelings. We love you.” It all comes out in a rush as she squeezes Emily to her and kisses the top of her head.

They didn’t talk a lot about the Sim parents. Mulder and Scully didn’t ever want to push Emily to talk about them but privately they worried that she didn’t talk about them more. The therapist Emily sees said that she needed time and to not push her to talk, so Mulder and Scully waited for her to come to them.

“My mommy made this stocking.” Emily whispers against Scully’s chest.

“It’s very pretty. We can hang it up right over the fire.”

Scully looked over at the fireplace where she’d placed her own stocking and one Mulder had brought over from his own apartment. Hanging them had been significant to Scully. Her childhood memories were filled with images of her family’s stockings full of little treats. Hanging up their three stockings made Scully feel like they were an actual family.

“Can we do it now?” Emily asks weakly.

“Of course!” Scully says and kisses her head again.

“Then I say we watch Rudolph.” Mulder adds.

Emily pulls away from Scully with a grin, “Can we have popcorn?”

“Naturally.” Mulder says and cups her cheek.

They follow Emily to the fireplace and Mulder lifts her up enough so that she can hang it.

After admiring it for a minute Emily reminds them of the movie and popcorn. As Mulder gets the popcorn and movie ready Scully sets a fire in the fireplace and feels a surge of emotion at the beauty of the three mismatched stockings hung by the fire with care.


	11. Chocolate

“Dammit Mulder.” Scully mumbles into the phone, “Who is supposed to watch Emily while we are away?”

“It will only be for one day, Scully! Your mom can watch her.” Mulder says back easily.

Scully rubs her forehead; “My mom is busy during the day. She could take her at night but it’s almost impossible to find a sitter this last minute, you’ll just have to go without me.”

“Without your expertise, this will be pretty much pointless! I have an idea. You might say no but give it a chance-“

An hour later Scully wonders how she found herself looking into the security camera at the Lone Gunmen’s lair about to hand over to them her five-year-old daughter.

“Emily, honey, if you’re not sure about this I don’t have to go.” Scully says as she waits for the door to be opened.

“No, I’m sure. I like the Gunmen.” Emily had met the men on a few occasions but had never been entrusted to their care. Mulder seemed sure of himself but Scully was less sure.

Scully had set a strict policy about work trips on the weekend but Mulder’s excitement over a new breed of deer, said to be carnivores, and a few dead bodies convinced Scully to take the trip.

Maggie would pick up Emily after she’d finished with her errands, and she would spend the night but until then Emily would be in the hands of Frohike, Langly, and Byers.

Scully is somewhat comforted to see Byers, usually, the sanest, open the door. He smiles first as Scully, then at Emily.

“Well hi there! Come on in!”

Emily beams at him sweetly but doesn’t let go of her mother’s hand as they go in.

As usual, the lair is cluttered and dimly lit. Scully feels Emily clutch her hand a bit tighter as they walk further in and she can’t help but smile.

“Hey, Emily!” Frohike says from his computer.

She gives a shy, but friendly wave.

“We have some movies and snacks! All kinds of good stuff!” Langly says from his own computer.

“Hopefully not too much good stuff.” Scully warns them warily.

Her phone begins to ring and she knows that it’s Mulder asking when she will be ready. Sighing she ignores it and crouches to face level with Emily.

“Mulder and I will just be a phone call away, okay? And Grandma will be here at five to pick you up. The Gunmen are being very nice to spend time with you so be polite.”

“Okay.” Emily replies seriously.

Scully cups the girl’s cheek and looks at her for a moment before pressing a kiss to her head.

“Call me if anything happens. I will be calling you every few hours. Don’t let her eat too many sweets and if you take her outside please make sure she is wearing her coat, hat, scarf, and mittens. I left her bag by the door with the number of the place we’re staying tonight and my moms home and cell number. If there is an absolute emergency and you can’t get in contact with her call Skinner. She’s used to eating dinner around five but my mom will make her something if you guys don’t have anything around.” Scully says all of this as she walks back toward the door reluctantly.

“And for the love of god remember that she is only five. Age-appropriate entertainment only! I packed a couple board games for her and some coloring books and crayons. As long as she’s occupied she won’t bother you. Thank you so much for this. Mulder owes you!”

Her phone begins to ring again before she is out the door and with an irritated grunt she answers before waving goodbye and pushing out the door.

The four odd companions stare after her all unsure if they should bring her back and call the whole thing off.

Emily begins to wander around and finally the guys decide to give her a tour.

It’s a short tour because they don’t show her their messy bedrooms but Emily seems impressed by the strange equipment and pictures of all manner of creatures they have around the place.

“What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?” Byers asks when they reach the tiny kitchen.

“Chocolate!” Emily says jumping in place without letting go of Frohike’s hand.

“Good choice pumpkin!” Frohike says.

Byers grabs three cartons of ice cream from the fridge and four bowls before dolling out everyone’s chosen flavor.

Soon the four of them are wrapped in blankets, surrounded by snacks, and cuddled up on a couch to watch The Year Without a Santa Claus.

When Maggie arrives at five to pick Emily up the four of them are best friends. She comes in to find them deeply involved in a game of Sorry. Emily runs up to her, face covered in chocolate, with a huge smile on her face.

“Can we eat with the Gunmen? Hikey says he’s making his special lasagna!” She says as she hugs Maggie.

The Gunmen all look in various directions as Maggie wipes the chocolate off Emily’s face and hands but are pleasantly surprised when Maggie announces that they would love to stay for dinner.

The next day when Scully and Mulder pick Emily up she is filled to the brim with talk of the three new best friends and asks when she will get to spend the day with them again.

Mulder looks over at Scully with a smile, “I got a very similar email from Frohike. He is easily charmed by the Scully women.”

As they pull away from Maggie’s house Scully spies Emily pulling a chocolate bar out of her bag.

“Emily, where did you get that?”

The child looks up wide-eyed, “Langly said it was ‘for the road’. Can I eat it?”

Scully sighs, “You can eat half of it.”

Turning back to Mulder she whispers, “We’re never sleeping again. I hope those very normal deer were worth it.”

Mulder can’t help but grin back and take a square of chocolate that Emily offers up.


	12. Marshmallow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The photo has nothing to do with the story, it just made me laugh.

“Hey Em, have you ever seen a marshmallow shooter?” Mulder asks, hands behind back.

Emily looks up from her coloring and shakes her head.

Mulder pulls the strange configuration of tubes from behind his back and smiles.

“Do we have any marshmallows?” He asks in a conspiratorial tone.

Emily is up in a second and running to the kitchen. Pulling out a little stool she opens the pantry and retrieves the bag of mini marshmallows Scully had tried to hide. 

Scully enters the room to see Emily excitedly watching as Mulder loads a marshmallow into the shooter.

“What is that?” Scully questions tiredly.

Mulder looks at her with wide eyes, “I thought you weren’t feeling good and were taking a nap?”

“I have a sixth sense for trouble. Where did you get that?”

“I made it a few years ago. Found it in some of my boxes. I thought I’d show Emily how it works.”

“You made this a few years ago?” She asks but doesn’t wait for an explanation, “Were you going to demonstrate in the apartment?”   
Scully’s arms are crossed, eyebrow raised.

Mulder looks around at all the breakable things as if seeing them for the first time.

“Of course not. That would be crazy. We were just about to go outside.”

“That’s what I thought.” Scully says, hiding a smile, “Get Emily dressed. I want to see this.”

Fifteen minutes later the three of them are bundled up and in front of the apartment.

They stand in front of the mostly melted snowman that Emily had made after the first snow. Mulder shows a very curious Emily how to load the shooter, puts his mouth on the blowing end of the connected pipes, and blows. A series of mini marshmallows fly out of the other end and hit the unfortunate snowman in quick succession. This causes the head that had resting uneasily on top to fall off and to the ground.

Emily cheers and asks for a turn. It takes Emily a few tries to get it right but soon she is shooting marshmallows all over the place.

“Alright we need to clean up the marshmallows, I doubt it would be good for the animals.” Scully finally says.

“No! They will like it!” Emily wines until Scully gives her a look that makes her go right to picking up.

“Come on Scully give it a try!” Mulder says.

“No Mulder. I’ll get sick germs all over it.”

“We can wash it off! It’s way more fun than you’d think.”

Scully looks at his boyish excitement, sees it mirrored in Emily’s face, and can’t refuse.

“Fine. Load it up.”


	13. Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is based on me as a child. I am the one who broke off Mary’s hand on my mom’s Nativity set and after I got married she started giving me pieces to my own set.

My finished Nativity set:   


* * *

Emily has a fascination with Scully’s classic Nativity set that her mother had given to her the Christmas after her graduation from college. It was a beautiful, Italian, handcrafted Nativity set that was her favorite Christmas decoration. To Emily, they looked like pretty, delicate, dolls and she loved to play with them. By way of replacement Maggie had gone out and bought for her a kids Nativity made of little round plastic people.

Emily showed little interest in the less fragile childish figurines though so Scully was not surprised to walk in and see Emily playing with the pretty angel that usually hangs above the miniature stable.

“Honey, you have your own angel that you can play with. Please put that one back.” Scully says with a sigh.

“But this one is prettier.” She wines and runs her fingers over the angel’s face.

Scully picks up the plastic cubby angel and holds it out to Emily who pouts and trades angels.

“My mom has a set just like this. I used to play with it all the time when I was little and broke off Mary’s hand. But then when I grew up my mom bought me my own set just like hers. So when you grow up I will get you one just like this.”

Emily’s frown turns into a smile.

“For now maybe I can get you an angel that looks like this to play with.”

“Please?!” Emily begs.

Later that night, after Emily is in bed Scully calls Maggie and asks about the Nativity set that had belonged to Melissa. And a few days later when Maggie brings it over to Emily they both watch with tears in their eyes as Emily plays with the figurines. She imagines angel Missy smiling down on her niece, wishing them a Merry Christmas.


	14. Carols

 

One of the things Mulder loves the most about being with Scully and Emily is going out into public as a family. It makes him feel like he belongs. He loves the gazes of people admiring Scully and the people who give little waves and smiles to Emily. He feels an unearned sense of pride with them by his side.

He likes that people see him as Emily’s dad and Scully’s significant other. So as they walk around the winter festival at the mall holding hands he’s at his happiest.

Emily walks between them giggling and asking questions about every stand they pass. As they turn on to another row of booths the sounds of the song “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. Ahead of them are Christmas carolers dressed in Victorian costumes.

“Like a light bulb!” Emily chimes in and then, “Can we see the singers?”

A soft smile graces Scully’s face, “Of course.”

Not finding them fast enough, Emily lets go of their hands and runs ahead. Mulder quickly interlaces his fingers with Scully’s, bringing another smile to her face.

“Her dress is pretty!” Emily says pointing at a girl a few years older than her in the front row.

Scully grins and nods.

They listen to a few carols until the woman in charge of the group asks for requests.

“Can I?” Emily asks.

After a nod from Scully, she raises her hand and jiggles it in the air.

“Can you sing Away In a Manager? Please?” Emily requests after the woman points to her.

As the carolers begin to sing Mulder notices Emily beginning to deflate. Halfway through the song, he sees her wiping away a tear. A moment later he crouches next to her.

“You okay Em?” He asks her softly.

“Mommy used to sing me this song at Christmastime.” She whispers back, rubbing her nose.

Mulder looks up at Scully, who is watching with worried eyes, and wordlessly asks if she has a tissue. A second later she pulls one from her purse and Mulder helps Emily dry her face.

“It’s a pretty song.” He says after a minute and she nods.

When the song is over she wraps her arms around his neck and he lifts her up to hold her.

Scully kisses Emily’s cheek, “Are you alright sweetie?”

Emily nods into Mulder’s neck.

“Do you want to hear them sing a happy song?”

Emily nods again, “Frosty?”

“Of course baby.” Scully kisses Emily again and requests ‘Frosty the Snowman’.

Within a few minutes, Emily is smiling and watching the carolers again, while still clinging to Mulder.

After a couple more songs they move on for some hot chocolate and cookies. When Emily asks to still be held Mulder holds on even tighter and pulls Scully to his side with his other hand.

He and Scully don’t discuss it until later that night after Emily’s asleep. They are in bed spooned together when he finally tells her what had been upsetting Emily.

“I worry that she doesn’t want to tell me when she’s missing her mom.” Scully says sadly.

“Maybe. She recovered quickly though. And a few months ago she would have clammed up for days. That’s progress.” Mulder replies and gently kisses her neck.

Scully turns in his arms to face him and cradles his face in her hands.

“You’re a good dad.”

Mulder feels tears gathering in his eyes and tries to blink them away, “Thank you for letting me… be a dad.”

Tenderly, she kisses him and moves her body up against his.

“I didn’t realize me being fatherly turned you on so much.” Mulder says against her lips.

“When you say it like that it sounds weird. But it is a bit of a turn on to see you being sweet with her.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He responds and melts into her.


	15. Snow Boots

“But I want to wear my boots.” Emily says and points stubbornly at the Barbie snow boots that sit next to the door. Scully sighs, while the snow has melted she is tired of this argument so she nods tiredly. Emily had become accustomed to spending many weeknights with her grandma while Mulder and Scully traveled.

It was an exhausting arrangement though, for all parties. Neither Mulder or Scully liked leaving Emily and their solve rate had taken a hit. A few nights before Scully had finally brought up the topic they had both been tiptoeing around.

“I think I need to transfer back to working at Quantico.” Scully said, interrupting Mulder as he read.

His eyebrows furrowed, “No Scully! We can’t give up the X Files! We still have a lot of answers to find about Emily and the illness she suffered from. I know it’s not the best but we need to keep working.”

Scully smiled sadly, “I know. But maybe it’s time that I give up that work professionally. You can stay working on the X Files but I can have more time to stay home with Emily in the evenings. A normal schedule is what she needs.”

“But I need you.” Mulder said softly.

Scully put aside her own book and snuggled up next to him, “You can still have my help. I’ll do all your autopsies and help with cases I just won’t travel.”

“What if you stay on the X Files but you just don’t travel?” Mulder asked helplessly and petted her hair.

“But you will need someone to have your back in the field. If I transfer you can get an official partner.”

“You’re my partner. I don’t trust anyone else.” His arms tightened around her.

“I know. But I found someone I think you can grow to trust. Skinner had been vetting people. The other day he gave me some files to look over. I think this agent could be really helpful. He’s shown interest in working with you a few times anyway.”

Mulder shook his head and pulled her closer.

“How about we bring him on our next case and see how it goes?” Scully suggested and kissed his cheek.

After a bit more prodding Mulder had agreed and now Scully was getting Emily ready so she could leave on what she hoped would be her last assignment, at least for a while.

Scully realizes she’d been lost in her own thoughts when she sees that Emily put her boots on the wrong feet. She laughs lightly and puts them on right before taking Emily’s regular shoes and packing them in her overnight bag.

“Mulder!” She calls and a moment later Mulder follows carrying both of their own overnight bags.

“When will you be back?” Emily asks and her sad eyes almost make Scully cancel the trip altogether.

“Just two nights Emily. Then I will be back, Mulder might stay a little bit longer.”

Emily turns her pleading gaze on Mulder but says nothing.

Sighing, Mulder lifts her up and holds her close.

“We will talk every night. I promise.”

When they wave goodbye as they drive away from Maggie’s home Mulder and Scully are silent. They don’t talk much until they are walking down to the basement getting ready to meet with Mulder’s new prospective partner.

“I guess you’re right. But I had an idea. I talked to Skinner about it to see what he thought. Basically, you would stay on the X Files but you would do any work that can be done here and this new guy can come with me when I need to travel.”

They pause for a moment and Mulder takes her hand, “I’m not ready to give you up yet.”

Scully gives his hand a squeeze, “I think I can manage that. Let’s meet your new partner.”

A tall, young, black man waits for them in the office. He is standing in the office reading the corkboard behind Mulder’s desk when they enter. Special Agent Josh Howard is only a couple years out of Quantico and joined the FBI in hopes of working on the X Files.

He knows the Lone Gunmen and comes highly recommended.

As the three of them head off to investigate a supposed mermaid in Lake Michigan a new chapter begins.


	16. Holly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again if you are interested in my XF sims go see @txfsimstyle on tumblr!

“Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!” Bellows the cranky, pre-conversion, Scrooge from the television set.

Emily pauses in her puzzling to look up at the adults on the couch.

“Why is holly for Christmas?” She asks.

Mulder and Scully curled together with a glass of wine each turn to look at her.

Scully shrugs slightly, “My mom always said it was cause ‘holly’ sounds like ‘holy’. She said that the prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore and that the berries were his blood.”

Mulder nods quietly, “Well that’s what people say these days. Back before people celebrated Christmas people believed the sharp leaves warded off evil. They put it out around this time of year because they thought that as it got darker more evil spirits would try to get them. So the holly kept them away. It can be translated from Old English as holegn, with variations in Old Norse as hulfr, German as hulst, French as houx, and Welsh as celyn. The way we say all of these those words is ‘holly,’ but it probably comes from the Proto-Indo-European base, qel, meaning ‘prickly’ or ‘to prick.’”

When Mulder is finished with his long-winded explanation he sees Scully staring at him flatly and Emily nodding in thought.

“Does it really scare away ghosts?” She asks, sounding somewhat nervous and looking around the apartment for the necessary stakes of holly.

“Emily there is no such thing as ghosts. You don’t have anything to worry about.” Scully says and pets her little girl’s head.

Mulder whirls on Scully, irritated, getting ready to cite her many confrontations with ghosts. Scully gives him a warning look though and he shuts up until an hour later when Emily lays asleep with her head in Emily’s lap.

“Why would you say there’s no such thing as ghosts Scully? You’ve seen evidence of ghosts!” He says in a whisper as Scrooge continues on with the ghost of Christmas past.

“Mulder, I have seen strange things but no conclusive evidence of ghosts.”

“Oh my god.”

“And even if I had, I am not going to tell that to a frightened 5-year-old! We don’t want to give her nightmares.” Scully says back softly.

“But we let her watch Dickens? This shit can still give me nightmares.”

“Afraid you’re going to get Scrooged Mulder?” Scully asks poking him in the side.

“Bah humbug! And I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits? You know Scrooge didn’t believe in any of that either. Better watch out Scully.”

“Oh shut up Mulder, I’m trying to enjoy the movie.”

She finishes as she snuggles closer to him and pulls his arm tighter around her.


	17. Candy Cane

“Look what I got at school!” Emily says as she busts through the door waving a fistful of candy canes in Mulder’s face as he pauses in dinner preparation.

“Candy canes?” He guesses.

“Want one?” She asks as she pops her own half eaten candy cane back into her mouth, the tip of it sharpened to a point.

“After dinner. I’m surprised your mom let you have that before dinner.” Mulder says and kisses the top of her head.

“She was eating it when I got there. Right under the wire. Knew grandma would say yes but mommy would say no.” Scully says as she removes first her coat and then Emily’s.

Emily gives an innocent look that makes Mulder laugh.

“Can I put on my Christmas PJs?” She asks running to a bag Scully had placed next to the door before either can respond.

“Yes, but let me cut off the tags.” Scully says and holds out her hand for the pajamas, which are red and covered in images from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

“Grandma got them for me.” Emily explains to Mulder as she waits for Scully to get the scissors from the kitchen to cut the tags off.

“They are beautiful. Does this mean I get to wear my PJs to dinner too?” Mulder asks and grabs Scully’s hip before she can exit the kitchen.

“You can wear whatever you want, you’re a big boy.” Scully responds with a small laugh and gives him a quick peck on the nose before escaping his arms.

Emily’s arms reach out for the pajamas and she’s gone in a flash. Scully turns back to Mulder and gives him a proper hello as soon as Emily is out of sight.

“I don’t like you being in the basement less. It’s lonely down there without you.” He wines and buries his face in her neck.

“It’s just a couple days of subbing. I’ll be back and I thought you and Josh hit it off?” She responds with the air of a comforting mother. Her fingers run over his scalp and he tightens his arms around her.

“He’s alright. It doesn’t smell as nice with two guys down there though, and there’s a lot less to look at.”

“Awwwww poor baby. What can I do?” Scully mocks lovingly.

Mulder looks up full of ideas but Emily reemerges before he can share what was sure to be more mature ideas.

She does a little spin before them in her new pajamas, candy cane still in mouth, and both Mulder and Scully ‘oohh’ and ‘ahh’ accordingly.

After dinner Mulder puts in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and all three settle down with candy canes and hot chocolate.


	18. Holiday Specials

“What’s your favorite Christmas movie, Emily?” Skinner asks awkwardly as he watches the little girl roam around his office as she waits for Scully.

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I like Jessica. She’s pretty.” Emily says. 

Skinner nods as if he remembers that movie and knows who Jessica is.

“Have you watched it yet?”

“Mmmm hmmm. Five times.”

Skinner’s eyebrows raise, “Five times in your life?”

Emily shakes her head and looks at him like he’s stupid, “This Christmas.”

For a moment Skinner is confused but then supposes she means this Christmas season. It’s been a very long time since he’s been alone with a child and he has no idea how to behave. He’s spent time with Emily in the presence of Mulder or Scully but never alone.

“What other movies have you been watching?” Skinner asks in an awkward attempt at conversation.

“Rudolph, The Grinch, Frosty, Jack Frost, Charlie Brown…” Emily names as she hops into the chair in front of Skinner’s desk.

“What’s your favorite?” She asks as she kicks her legs back and forth.

Skinner tries to think back to his childhood, “I suppose I always liked Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And back then they only showed The Wizard of Oz around Christmas time. That was nice.”

“I like that movie too.”

Fifteen minutes later Scully arrives stressed but carrying the lab results she’d promised Skinner.

She enters to see Skinner and Emily sitting together coloring in Emily’s little coloring book.

“My friend Erin’s favorite color is green.” She says, still not noticing Scully.

“Green is a nice color.” Skinner responds thoughtfully.

“Not as good as purple.”

“Well, of course not.”

Scully grins and enters.

“Having fun?” She asks.

“Yes!” Emily half yells.

As Emily packs her backpack back up Scully asks Skinner how it went.

“I’ve never really spent much time with kids but she’s sweet. If you ever need a sitter give me a call.” Skinner says.

Emily hands him the coloring page they’d been working on.

“Thank you, Emily, I’ll find a nice place for this.” He says and pats her head.

“Thank you Walter. Have a Merry Christmas.” Scully says and gives him a kiss on the cheek.


	19. Mistletoe

“Hey Scully,” Mulder says and waits for her to turn from washing the dishes to face him.

As soon as she turns around she sees the sprig of mistletoe Mulder has positioned above them and has only a moment to smile before he pulls her forward into a kiss. After a long moment, she pulls away only for Mulder to pluck a berry off the plant and pull her into another long kiss.

This pattern continues until he’s plucked two more berries.

“Mulder what are you doing?” Scully finally asks, her lips brushing his as she speaks.

“In the middle ages, it was unlucky if you didn’t kiss for every berry on the mistletoe. We wouldn’t want any bad luck, Scully.” Mulder pulls off another berry and kisses her passionately.

“Why do people kiss under mistletoe?” Emily’s sudden appearance and question startle the pair and they pull apart quickly.

After regaining his composure Mulder rubs the back of his head, “Um, some say it began in ancient Greece because people believed mistletoe brought fertility. No one seems to know why people started doing it at Christmastime.”

“What’s fertility?” Emily asks.

“It’s- ah- it’s-“ Mulder starts until Scully interrupts.

“Hey! I think the cookies are ready!” She says and starts toward the oven.

Mulder grabs her around the waist and pulls her into another kiss.

When they pull away he plucks off the last berry, “There.”


	20. Peppermint

Emily’s little cough rang out from her bedroom and kept Scully anxious. She paces the hallway and wrings her hands as Mulder watches with a small smile.

“You said yourself that it’s just a small fever, she will be alright. And you need to relax or you’ll get sick too.” Mulder says as he takes her shoulders and starts to steer her toward their bedroom.

“I just can’t stop thinking about the last time she had a fever…” Scully responds shakily.

Mulder pulls her into the bedroom and hugs her.

“You checked her neck and the fever is nowhere near as high. Kids get sick every once in a while. You need to stay calm.” He pets her hair and kisses her temple.

“I have something to distract you,” He starts and moves to the dresser where he’d placed a bag earlier in the day, “I found something nice when I was out today.”

He pulls out a nice looking bottle labeled, peppermint massage oil. Scully gives him a dubious look and he wiggles his eyebrows at her.

“Strip and lay down Scully. I’ll get you to relax.” Mulder says in a husky voice.

Scully looks amused and intrigued until she hears Emily’s tiny cough again.

She looks to the door, “What if Emily needs something?”

“Then I’ll wipe my hands and get it for her. She’s fine, she’s happy and watching her movie.” Mulder begins to unbutton Scully’s blouse and she doesn’t protest.

When she’s fully undressed she lies down on a towel the bed. Mulder pours some of the oil on his hand and warms it between his palms before he begins to rub her back.

At the sound of another small cough from the other room, he feels Scully’s back tense up and he lays a couple small kisses on her neck to calm her.

“Relax.” He whispers in her ear and sucks her earlobe between his lips.

He climbs on the bed and straddles her thighs so he can get her whole back.

Mulder leans forward to speak softly into her ear, “You have the sexiest back. I could just run my hands over it all night. So strong and feminine and perfect.”

He punctuates his words by softly running his slick fingers up and down her back lightly and she shivers in response to his words and touch. When Mulder takes a small bite at her neck he feels her pressing her hips down into the bed in search of relief. His touch is light but he rubs at the parts of her back and neck that he knows pain her after a long day.

Scully feels herself relaxing and getting more aroused at the same time.

“Mommy!” Emily’s voice calls out and all the tension comes back into Scully. She begins to move under Mulder but he gently pushes her back down.

“I’ll check on her.” He says and wipes his hands on a towel before going to see what Emily needed.

A few minutes later he reenters the bedroom to see Scully sitting back up again waiting for him with an apprehensive look on her face.

“She just needed some water.” Mulder says, “Lay back down.”

Scully does what he said and soon she is calm again under his hands. Mulder kneads her arms down to her hands where he kisses each finger. He moves down to her ass and begins to message in soft circular motions. Gradually, he increases the pressure with his thumbs and a small moan escapes Scully’s mouth. Mulder’s erection presses into her leg as he begins to knead one cheek then the other.

When he is satisfied with his job he whispers in her ear again, “Turn over.”

A thrill of excitement runs through her as she turns to lie on her back.

Mulder starts at her feet and moves up slowly kneading and massaging every part of her as he moves up. By the time he reaches the top of her thighs Scully is thoroughly wet for him. He smiles wickedly, buries his nose in her bush, and moves to her hips and up her waist.

His fingers trace her breasts, barely skimming her skin and trembles with a soft moan. He pays great attention to her breasts and with each touch, his fingers press harder. Each time he passes over her nipples without a touch her frustration grows. Finally, his oiled thumbs flick swiftly over her nipples and Scully arches her back into his touch.

Mulder chuckles and kisses her neck. He is hard against her hip and she begins to move against him rhythmically causing him to lose concentration. While he’s distracted she moves to his fly and soon has him out of his pants. After she pumps him a few times he can’t stop himself from centering over her and finally pushing in.

He feels the oil soaking into his shirt and sweats as they move together and is even more turned on by the image of her totally naked under his clothed body.

Thoroughly worked up, Scully is finished in minutes and cums around him fast and hard. Mulder watches as her face contorts and she lets out small breathy moans.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” He says to her in a husky voice that causes her to smile.

She cups his cheek and traces his lips with her thumb as she thrusts up to meet him.

After a few more minutes Mulder cums inside her, his moans muffled in her neck. They rest for a couple minutes until they hear Emily shout from the next room.

“Daddy! Can I have another movie?”

Mulder laughs against Scully’s neck.

“Right in time.” He says and kisses her tenderly before pulling out and righting his appearance to go help Emily.

Scully lies still for a couple minutes and listens to the voices of the two most important people in her life. Finally, with a satisfied sigh, she gets up to wash off the peppermint and check on her daughter.


	21. Cookies!

“What shapes should these cookies be?” Tara asks Emily as they roll out the dough.

Emily looks carefully at the cookie cutters arranged before her and picks out a few select shapes. Tara nods agreement and chats away with Emily as Scully watches on with a smile, holding her nearly one-year-old nephew.

Matthew giggles and pulls at her hair joyfully. He’s a big, happy, boy who is the spitting image of Bill. Scully happily tickles his tummy and baby talks to him as she bounces him on her hip.

“He’s so big.” Mulder comments as the baby takes hold of his index finger and begins to stuff it into his mouth.

“He’s a sweet boy. Looks exactly like Bill at his age too. I’m sure my mom will break out the photos for proof.” Scully says and laughs at Matthews’s attempts to gnaw on Mulder’s finger with his few baby teeth.

“Mommy, what cookie shape do you want?” Emily asks and holds up a few options for Scully.

“I like the candy cane.” Scully says with a grin.

Emily nods seriously and places it in a special pile.

“Daddy, what shape do you want? It has to be different!”

“Hummmm,” Mulder pretends to ponder, “Ya know, I think I’ll go with a classic Christmas tree shape.”

“No! That one’s mine!” Emily clutches the Christmas tree cutter to her chest as if protecting it from him.

Mulder feigns offense but considers the others she offers, “Well then I guess I’ll settle for the snowman.”

Emily nods approvingly and sets that shape aside.

“What shape does baby Mattie want?”

Scully walks him over to the shapes that Emily is holding up and when he starts to reach for the star-shaped cutter Emily announces that it is his choice and sets it aside. Not understanding the meaning of the ritual Matthew believes he has been denied a new toy and starts to fuss until Mulder pulls a face that draws a laugh from the grown women as well as the children.

“It sounds like you’re having fun in here!” Maggie says cheerfully as she enters the room.

“Grandma, what shape do you want?” Emily asks.

“I want the wreath dear.” Maggie says and kisses her granddaughter’s head before reaching for the baby.

Scully reluctantly hands the squirming 11 month old over and enjoys the sight of her mother with the child.

Mulder’s arm snakes around her waist and he kisses the top of her head. A few nights before Sully had confided to him her sadness at never being able to bear children. Despite the joy that Emily brings, Scully still finds herself mourning the baby that she never got to carry and the ones she would never have. She also feels the pang at knowing there will never be a little mini Mulder for her to cuddle and kiss.

Scully smiles up at him to show him that she is all right, and she is all right. The day had been nice. Despite her worries about Bill, he has remained pleasant if a bit cold toward Mulder and Tara had been sweet with Emily all morning.

Bill still feels odd about Emily. He is unconvinced despite all the evidence that Emily is really Scully’s daughter and sees the little girl as a last-ditch attempt at motherhood. However, he has been kind to Emily and not acted hostile at all.

Maggie glows in the presence of her children and grandchildren.

By midafternoon Charlie has arrived with his son who is a couple years older than Emily and his daughter who is just a year younger.

Emily has met these cousins on a couple occasions and the three of them were fast friends. Before their coats are even off, Emily is rushing them into the kitchen to show them the cookies she’d picked out for them. She is quick to explain that she had to choose shapes for them since they were not there to do it themselves.

The rest of the day is filled with laughs, treats, and presents. There is an underlining hostility between Charlie and Bill that has existed for their whole relationship but both seem to sense that today is not the day to fight.

Scully can’t remember having such a nice Christmas Eve since the one before Ahab passed.

Bill and Tara take the pull out couch with a little portable crib set up next to them for Matthew while the other two families are each given a room.

Emily snuggles between Mulder and Scully in the queen guest bed happily and asks questions about Santa Claus until she falls asleep.

Before falling asleep Mulder kisses Scully’s hand. As she fades Scully looks at the stars through the window and prays for her Christmas wish to come true. Finally, the little family sleeps soundly, visions of sugar plums dancing and not a mouse stirring.


	22. Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!

The day started early with the children waking the adults to see what Santa had brought them. The children had been told to wait until 7:30 before waking anyone and as soon as the clock flipped to 7:30 Emily began shaking Mulder and Scully awake.   
Minutes later the children were running down the stairs followed by the tired adults. They all opened up their presents from Santa and from each other before Maggie started Breakfast.   
The adults settled in to open and set up all of the presents for the kids. Bill built a fire and Mulder made each adult a mimosa. For the rest of the day they mostly lounged around, chatted, napped, and watched the kids play.   
At one point Scully fell asleep cuddled against Mulder’s side, his arm wrapped around her. Mulder watches her sleeping face for a minute before looking up and locking eyes with Bill. The two men just looked at each other for a moment before Bill nodded subtly at him and went back to chatting with his wife and mother.   
They watched movies and ate dinner and finally at 7:30 Scully announced that it was time for them to go. The family goodbye lasts 20 minutes as everyone hugs and wishes each other Merry Christmas. Charlie hugs Mulder and tells him they need to go out for a beer sometime; the two of them had become fast friends much to Scully’s delight. Bill pats Mulder on the shoulder and tells him to take care of Dana and Emily.   
Emily is out quickly on the car ride home, mouth crusted with dried chocolate. Mulder carries her up and the two of them kiss her sleeping forehead before retiring to the living room together.   
They sit in the dark; the room lit only by the tree, and drink hot chocolate and Kahlua.   
“I have one last thing for you.” Mulder says and gets up to retrieve a small box from a hiding place.   
Scully knows right away what it is and looks at him nervously as she opens it.   
Inside the wrapping paper is a velvet box that makes Scully’s heart pound in her ears.   
“You don’t have to accept it if you don’t want to…” Mulder says and smiles at her apprehensively.   
Opening the box Scully lets out a small gasp as she sees the modest diamond ring inside. The band is plain gold and the diamond is small but raised. The Christmas lights make the gem dance with color and Scully’s eyes fill with tears.   
“Really Scully, I know we haven’t really talked about it but I just thought-“   
Mulder’s words are cut off by Scully kissing him passionately.   
“Yes.” She says against his lips and he reluctantly tears himself away so he can place the ring on her finger.   
After checking to ensure Emily is asleep they make love tenderly.   
“Merry Christmas.” Mulder whispers against her forehead as they hold each other.   
“Merry Christmas.” Scully says back and falls asleep quickly against his chest admiring her new ring.


End file.
